by Debbie Ross, founder of the Womens Travel Network

Morocco is a country that has always fascinated me. It has been shaped by various  historical influences and the great dynasties of Morocco, the Almoravides the Almohades, the Merinides, the Saadians and the Alaouites.  It is visible  in the architecture, the historical sites, the people and you can taste it the food.

The Berbers, Morocco’s first inhabitants are responsible for culinary methods and practices that are still alive today. They introduced the tagine utensil more than 2000 years ago and are in fact responsible for the slow cooking and well-known cooking practice. The Berbers are also accountable for the common meat preserving technique still present in Morocco (such as ‘khlii’) and have abundantly integrated to their diet some crucial ingredients to Moroccan cuisine, such as couscous, chickpeas and beans.

The Arabs arrival in the 7th century has significantly influenced Morocco’s culinary heritage. In fact, the Arabs are the ones who brought the famous spices from China, India and Malaysia such as cinnamon, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric. Influenced by the Persians, they also brought nuts and dried fruits, which allowed the sweet and sour combination, still present in tagines and dishes like bastila.

The Moors, (Muslim inhabitants mainly based in the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century) from Spain had a strong impact on Moroccan cuisine. They are responsible for the increased production and use of olives and olive oil and the settlement of citrus gardens and fruit bearing trees. The Moors population was followed by the Jewish-Moors who introduced pickling and preserving fruit and vegetables techniques.

The Ottoman Turk presence in the geographical region introduced grills and barbecues (kebab) to Moroccan cuisine.

The French colonized Morocco in 1912 and brought with them a culture of cafés, wine, ice cream and patisserie.

Food is a very important component of a trip and  I love to cook.  Recently I was watching a cooking show which inspired me to learn more about Moroccan food and to create some of the delectable dishes. I didn’t have a tagine readily available but figured I could improvise with my skillet.  I did some research on the various blends of spices and ingredients and created my first Moroccan meal.  My family loved it!  I decided to share my recipe with you. I hope you like it too.

Debbie’s Moroccan Chicken (Vegetarian option with Chickpeas)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless cut into bite size pieces
(for vegetarian substitute, 1 cup chick peas)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red pepper, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 cup olives, pitted
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup dates, chopped (raisins are a good alternative)
1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable if making vegetarian option)
4 springs of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried crushed thyme
2 tbsp honey

Spice Blend:
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper (or 1 tsp if you want it a bit spicy)
salt to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet
Saute chicken pieces on medium heat (5 minutes)
Add onion and garlic and continue cooking until onion is soft (2 minutes)
Add spice blend and continue cooking to bring out the flavours of the spices (1 minute)
Add lemon juice and lemon rind
Add the rest of the ingredients bringing to a boil
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
Take cover offer and cook for another 5 minutes to reduce some of the liquid, if desired

SIDE DISH:
Serve with couscous, quinoa or rice

ENJOY!